nd out
came the daintiest little figure, in a fresh blue cotton frock and
white pinafore, her rosy lips parted with a smile, and her eyes dancing
with the light of the morning of life. Dear unclouded child-eyes! How
soon they lose that first sweet innocent gaze! How soon the cares and
sins of this weary world shadow their depths, and the frank gaze which
tells of faith in all that is lovely and beautiful is changed into one
of distrust, and sometimes of sorrow.

"Well, little Miss Joy!" Patience Harrison said, as the child tripped
across the row, and flung her arms round the waiting mother's neck.

"Well, dear Goody Patience. Why are you sitting here all alone, and
looking so sad? Why, Goody, _dear_ Goody, you are crying!"

For the child's loving caress had touched the fountain of tears, and,
sobbing, the poor mother said--

"Oh, little Miss Joy! Jack has run away. I couldn't sleep, so I came
down here."

"Run away, Jack! Oh, how naughty of him to grieve you! But he will
come back--of course he will. Don't cry, my dear Goody Patience; don't
cry. Of course he'll come back. What was it all about?"

"A fuss with his poor Aunt Amelia, as usual; and Jack was rude, I know,
and he did not behave well; but----"

"I am afraid," Joy said thoughtfully, "Jack is not a good boy to Miss
Pinckney. He is no end good to _me_, and I love him dearly, and so
does Uncle Bobo. He says he is like a fine ship--all sails set and
flags flying and no compass--which gets on rocks and quicksands,
because there is no guide. That is what Uncle Bobo says."

"It is quite true--quite true," Patience said. "I do not excuse him,
though I know he has had a great deal to try his temper in his Aunt
Amelia's house."

"I dare say he will come back, and be a good boy. I'll talk to him,"
Joy said, with a wise nod of her golden head. "I'll talk to him, and
he will never run away again."

"But, Joy, he is gone; and though Mr. Paterson thinks he knows where to
find him, I don't believe he _will_ find him."

"I must go indoors now; for here is Peter coming to take down our
shutters, and Uncle Bobo will be wanting his breakfast, and I always
help Susan to get it ready. I shall be on the watch, and the minute
Jack comes back I will run over."

Then, with showers of kisses on the pale, woe-struck face, little Miss
Joy was gone.

CHAPTER II.

_LITTLE MISS JOY._

Little Miss Joy was the pride of the row, and always seemed to b